SPACE Therapy for Kids and Adolescents: A Parent-Led Approach to Anxiety Treatment

If your child is having challenges with anxiety, therapy can help.

What is SPACE Therapy?

Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is a cutting-edge, evidence-based therapy designed to help children and adolescents struggling with anxiety and obsessive-compulsive behaviors. Unlike traditional therapy, SPACE focuses on parents rather than the child, equipping caregivers with the tools to reduce their child's anxiety through supportive, strategic changes in their own behavior.

If you are curious about how to know if your anxious child needs therapy, click here. If you are curious on what age your child should start therapy and when to get help, click here.

Learn more about SPACE Therapy

How Does SPACE Therapy Work?

In SPACE therapy, parents work with a trained therapist to identify ways they may be accommodating their child's anxiety. While these accommodations often come from a place of love, they can unintentionally reinforce anxious behaviors. By gradually reducing these accommodations and providing supportive responses instead, parents help their child build resilience and confidence in managing anxiety on their own.

Read about the research behind SPACE Therapy

What Conditions Can SPACE Therapy Help With?

SPACE therapy is effective for a variety of childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders, including:

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Separation Anxiety Disorder

• Social Anxiety Disorder

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Selective Mutism

• Specific Phobias

  
  

Benefits of SPACE Therapy for Families

• Parent-Led Approach: Unlike traditional therapy where children work one-on-one with a therapist, SPACE empowers parents to make strategic changes that support their child’s mental health.

• Evidence-Based: Research has shown that SPACE therapy is just as effective as traditional cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for treating childhood anxiety disorders.

• Improved Family Dynamics: Parents learn how to respond to their child’s anxiety in a way that reduces stress for the entire family.

• Long-Term Results: By addressing parental accommodations, children develop stronger coping mechanisms that benefit them beyond therapy sessions.

  
  

Finding SPACE Therapy in Virginia

If you're a parent in Virginia looking for an effective way to support your child’s mental health and help their anxiety lessen, SPACE therapy might be the right fit. I offer SPACE therapy to help families navigate childhood anxiety with proven, research-backed strategies. I work with parents to create meaningful, lasting change for their children. I also offer PCIT which can help too.

Schedule an appointment with me to explore how SPACE therapy can support your family.

If you're interested in learning more about SPACE therapy or scheduling an appointment, visit my Psychology Today profile to explore online therapy options in Virginia. Helping your child overcome anxiety starts with empowering yourself as a parent.

Final Thoughts

Anxiety in children and adolescents can be overwhelming, but with the right approach, it is manageable. SPACE therapy provides parents with practical, research-backed tools to support their child’s mental health while fostering independence and confidence. If your family is struggling with anxiety, consider reaching out to a therapist trained in SPACE therapy to begin your journey toward healing and resilience.

Mary Willoughby Prentiss is a licensed professional counselor in the state of Virginia who provides online therapy for Willow Tree Healing Center. She enjoys transforming the lives of women, college students, kids, tweens/teens, and families through providing communication strategies, coping skills that work, allowing a safe space to be heard, and actively working towards helping you with your challenges. She is certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (ages 2-7) and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, counsels substance abuse in teens and adults, and practices Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy..